time shift
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Zeebox update adds 'replay tweets' feature, brings time-delayed social commentary
Twitter already put forward the idea of a social media "DVR," that might let you "playback" tweets, and see what was being talked about at a certain time. It seems Zeebox wasn't about to wait around for that to happen and took the initiative, bundling a similar feature into its latest update. The second-screen app will now recognise when you're watching something after the fact, and resurrect the tweets that went along with it, as if it were live. Great for seeing what your tweeple were thinking at the time. Still won't protect you from any Downton-eque spoiler debacles, sadly.
Sirius XM releases Lynx radio, ensures that you never miss the beginning of another Jimmy Buffett song
Need a shiny new way to enjoy SiriusXM's revamped channel lineup? For $250, you can pick up the Lynx Portable Radio, which lets you start shows and songs (Jimmy Buffett or otherwise) from the beginning and pause, fast forward and rewind programming. The wildcat radio also stores up to 200 hours of programming and features "dynamic" presets and a show finder, which offers up a programming schedule for the next seven days. It's currently available online for $250 and will be hitting retail shops in the near future. More info on the radio can be read from the beginning in the press release and video trailer after the break. Still no word on that whereabouts of that shaker of salt.
Toshiba details CELL REGZA LCD TV, coming December to Japan (update: video!)
It's a day before CEATEC officially kicks off, but Toshiba's getting a head start on the news, dishing out all the deets on its Cell-powered CELL REGZ LCD TV, now officially due out in Japan in early December. The 55-inch, 240Hz display boasts a mighty impressive 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio, self-congruency technology for improved picture detail on the edges, a peak luminance of 1250cd/m², and LED backlits dividing the screen into 512 distinct areas. A 7-speaker sound bar lies just below the display. Want more? How about eight-window simultaneous multi-display, an Opera-based web browser, DLNA, and a 3TB hard disk drive, 2TB for "time-shift" recording recording up to 26 hours of programs, up to eight channels simultaneously. There's a sizable box on display, too, which seems to be where the Cell hardware is being housed. Curious about price? So are we, but there's nothing being said. If that's not forward-thinking enough, Toshi's also outlining its future concepts, dubbed CELL REGZA NEXT. Those four include a 3D set, a 4K2K version that upcoverts 1080p to 3840 x 2160 resolution, a 46-inch model integrating its CELL BOX dedicated TV tuner and HDD, and a 37-inch that works as a home network server. It looks like we'll be getting some hands-on time with the 55X1 shortly, but in the meantime, one more pic after the break. %Gallery-74635%
GDC08: Surviving the war of words in 'The Future of Story' session
First off, kudos to the GDC organizers for putting such different-minded people together for "The Future of Story" panel, which ended up being an insightful and vitriolic debate. The panel, hosted by indie writer Deborah Todd, included Saber 3D's Matthew Karch and Michael Hall (Time Shift), Silicon Knights' Denis Dyack (Too Human), Eidos Montreal's Mary DeMarie (previously: Myst III, IV and Dungeon Siege), Matt Costello (7th Guest) and Director of id Software Tim Willits.A focus of the panel was the the dichotomy of story and gameplay, with both Dyack and Karch taking opposing viewponts and everyone else scattered somewhat in the middle. Early on, Karch asserted his view that some genres don't need to value story as much, citing Call of Duty 4 as a game where no one cared about the story. Later, he summed his viewpoint up best saying, "My whole argument is, it doesn't need to be a story written by Steinbeck, it needs to be someone who just keeps the game moving on."Said Dyack, "In five to ten years, there will not be a shoter genre. It's gonna be more literative -- horror, science fiction, etc." When Karch asked if Bruckheimer would go away (referencing the "high-octane" film producer), Dyack retorted that "He's McDonald's, thats what he is. and people love McD's." The back and forth continued, culminating in the following exchange:Dyack: "We should still aspire to this. you could have bubble gum like, Transformers [the film] for example, but in the end its what entertains."Karch: "I'll take bubble gum."
New Timeshift screens abound
Xboxyde got a hold of some very pretty screens of Timeshift, the FPS from developer Saber Interactive and publisher Vivendi. The water effects from the rain and the textures on the side of the building are a sight to behold, showing the power the developer's Saber 3D engine. Other screens show some sexy smoke effects and minor explosions. While details are a little scarce on the game, other than some of the cool time manipulation effects, are you intrigued by how its playing out?
